For months, Edward (Ed) Waldner knew something wasn’t right. At 55 years old, he felt constantly drained, no matter how much or how little he had done during the day. He wondered whether sleep apnea might be to blame. He also noticed subtle changes in the way he walked, including times when his heels seemed to drag.
When his symptoms became particularly severe one day, Waldner went to the Emergency Department to get checked out.
“The doctor said I had a mass on my brain and needed to see an oncologist,” says Waldner.
The mass turned out to be glioblastoma, an aggressive and often deadly form of brain cancer. Standard treatment typically includes surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Even with these treatments, however, the cancer frequently returns.
Testing Vitamin B3 as a Glioblastoma Treatment
Researchers at the University of Calgary are studying whether high doses of vitamin B3, also known as niacin, could improve outcomes when added to conventional glioblastoma treatment. Waldner was invited to participate in the clinical trial.
“I have no problem trying to help anybody. I agreed. I want to help myself too,” says Waldner. “I can tell you being part of this research helps me mentally because we’re trying. When I left the hospital after surgery I was told, that’s it, that’s all we can do.”
The study is being led by Drs. Gloria Roldan Urgoiti, MD, and Wee Yong, PhD, who are both members of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute. Roldan Urgoiti is a brain cancer specialist, while Yong is a neuroscientist whose work focuses on how the immune system affects the brain.
Together, they developed a research program to determine whether niacin can restore the function of weakened immune cells and help them destroy tumor cells. The project began in Yong’s laboratory using mice. Early experiments showed that niacin extended survival, leading the team to launch a Phase I and II clinical trial in people.
Reawakening the Immune System
“Normally the immune system will try to counter and prevent tumor growth, however, this brain cancer suppresses the immune system,” says Yong, a professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). “Niacin treatment rejuvenates immune cells so they can do what they are supposed to do, attack and kill the cancer cells. I see it as an ongoing ‘battle for the brain’.”
The clinical trial was designed to identify the highest safe dose and evaluate the potential benefits of controlled-release niacin when combined with standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Researchers established a benchmark before the study began. If progression-free survival at six months did not improve by at least 20 per cent compared with previous studies, the trial would be stopped.
Early findings from 24 patients exceeded that target. At six months, 82 per cent of participants had no signs of disease progression. That represents a 28 per cent improvement compared with earlier studies. Researchers believe the results are encouraging for a cancer that remains incurable.
Promising Early Results for an Aggressive Brain Cancer
“Glioblastoma is the most aggressive brain cancer in adults. Survival of patients with this condition hasn’t changed significantly for 20-years,” says Roldan Urgoiti, a clinical associate professor at the CSM. “Anything that may help should be explored but it requires strict protocols and safety monitoring.”
The findings have been published in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.
Researchers emphasize that high doses of vitamins, including niacin, can be toxic and may cause harm if they are not carefully monitored by medical professionals.
The study is continuing, and the team hopes to complete its final analysis after enrolling 48 participants by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
As for Waldner, he says he feels very well these days. During his regular follow-up scans, he is simply grateful to hear one word from his medical team: stable.
The research is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Alberta Cancer Foundation.